"I'm thinking about the spring hunt. I wonder if you'll be fully recovered by then."
If the spring hunt is in early March, then there are still about half a month left; if it is in mid-March, then there is still a month left.
Yu Nanqing can now stand up and even walk. As his leg function recovers, he will get better and better.
"Are you going on a spring hunt?" Yu Nanqing asked curiously.
She always refused royal banquets whenever possible.
“Sigh, it’s not that I want to go, I just have a feeling you’ll have to go that day,” Su Wanyan said. “Don’t you think Emperor Yuanhe and the Eldest Princess have been too quiet lately?”
Yu Nanqing was puzzled upon hearing this.
Su Wanyan waved her hand: "Sit down and talk, sit down and talk."
She sat down on the wooden training frame first, and Yu Nanqing then took two steps with her crutches and slowly sat down.
Su Wanyan deliberately didn't help him up. Seeing that he could now get up and sit down on his own, she became even more certain of her assessment.
The two sat on a wooden plank, with only two or three inches between them.
Su Wanyan said, "Let's talk about the Eldest Princess first. I burned down the Eldest Princess's library before, and she hasn't settled the score with me for that yet. Later, the Eldest Princess spread the news that she wanted to execute Lü Cezhong, but it came to nothing in the end. But so far, the Eldest Princess hasn't taken any action. Surely she can't just let me go by drugging her?"
"As for Emperor Yuanhe, given how much he has suppressed you over the years, he is unlikely to change his ways. Since his assassination attempt on you failed before, he will definitely try again. When I heard you mention the Battle of Xiaoshui, I knew he would never let you go in this lifetime."
Emperor Yuanhe's desire to eliminate Yu Nanqing was not something that only arose in recent years, but rather something he had always harbored.
It may have started as early as the moment of the succession struggle in the previous dynasty.
“The spring hunt is held at the royal hunting grounds, far from the capital. If you die outside, Emperor Yuanhe and the eldest princess can easily distance themselves from it. I don’t think they would let such a good opportunity pass them by.”
After listening to Su Wanyan's analysis, Yu Nanqing asked, "Are we going?"
"Can we refuse?" After all, it's hard to say how well Yu Nanqing's leg will heal by then.
Yu Nanqing pondered for a moment, then spoke softly, "Unless we take refuge elsewhere before the spring hunt."
Su Wanyan crossed her legs, gently rested her chin on her hands, and looked at Yu Nanqing: "The farm in Luming Village is a place we can visit."
"Yan'er, do you think... we should go on the spring hunt?"
It's not a question of whether or not I want to, but whether or not I should.
Based on their guesses, they already knew that Emperor Yuanhe would make a move during the Spring Hunt, and he wanted to know what Su Wanyan was thinking.
"Call me Su Wanyan," Su Wanyan corrected.
Yu Nanqing pursed her lips, somewhat unwilling.
Actually, he had a hidden agenda. He thought that if he called out to her casually while she was thinking, she might forget to correct him someday.
If you keep calling her that, she might just give in and agree.
“If we go on the spring hunt, Emperor Yuanhe will definitely go all out. The scale of the assassination will be even larger than last time. I ask you, what are the chances of us defeating Emperor Yuanhe? If we can, we will go. If not, we will stay at the estate temporarily.”
Having said that, Su Wanyan felt that if Emperor Yuanhe realized their thoughts, he might take some other action.
"..."
What are the odds of winning?
During the royal spring hunt, the royal hunting grounds are patrolled by troops during the day to prevent hunters from getting lost or being attacked by prey, and soldiers guard the camps at night.
On that day, Emperor Yuanhe was not only accompanied by his personal guards, but also by secret agents who were always at his beck and call, not to mention the Imperial Guards who accompanied him.
And he...
With only a handful of people in the Prince's mansion, they had no chance of defeating the Imperial Guards brought by Emperor Shangyuan.
Seeing Yu Nanqing remain silent, Su Wanyan nodded: "I understand."
Yu Nanqing hurriedly said, "But I can definitely protect you."
Su Wanyan shook her head: "Let me think about it some more."
It wasn't that she didn't trust Yu Nanqing; if he could protect her once, he could naturally protect her a second and a third time.
But is simply protecting her enough?
Like last time, are we going to gamble with our lives again?
She was unwilling to accept this; she didn't want her life to be in Emperor Yuanhe's hands, as if he wanted her dead and she was destined to die.
“Su Wanyan…” Yu Nanqing’s eyes were filled with sadness: “I’m sorry, in the end I was too weak…”
When he was in the border town, he commanded an army of thousands and never felt weak.
But now, there's nothing he can do.
If only I still had military power, if only I still had military power...
Yu Nanqing pursed her lips and gritted her teeth, her fist clenching slightly in her sleeve.
"You call that weak?" Su Wanyan laughed. "If you call that weak, then what am I?"
"..." Yu Nanqing turned her eyes slightly away: "You know what I mean."
“If you go head-to-head with Emperor Yuanhe, no matter how strong you are, you will still be overshadowed by him.” Su Wanyan chuckled: “All the land under heaven belongs to the emperor. Even if the proud and aloof princess is proud and aloof, she still has to bow down and submit to Emperor Yuanhe. No matter how good their relationship is, can the princess ever surpass Emperor Yuanhe?”
"..."
"So this isn't a matter of strength or weakness."
This is merely a rule under imperial power.
With power as great as Yu Nanqing, who can decide the life and death of others with a mere wave of his hand, is he weak?
With his martial prowess and extensive combat experience, he has protected the country and defended against enemies. Is that weak?
If the roles were reversed and Yu Nanqing were emperor, even if he were truly powerless, he could still command all officials to submit and none would dare to defy him.
“Su Wanyan…” Yu Nanqing suddenly gently grasped her wrist: “Do you think he will let us go if we really leave the capital in the future?”
Su Wanyan rolled her eyes: "You know perfectly well what's going on, why are you asking me?"
She had said before that if Yu Nanqing left the capital and moved to another place, Emperor Yuanhe would definitely jump out and kick him from time to time.
Yu Nanqing's identity is destined to be extraordinary in this world.
“You’re right.” Yu Nanqing’s eyes darkened again, so he couldn’t just leave.
He could bear the hurt that person caused him, but Su Wanyan couldn't.
He couldn't imagine that after Su Wanyan left the capital, she would live a life like a refugee with him.
Su Wanyan brushed away his hand that was gripping her wrist: "Why do you always like to touch me when you talk?"
"..." Yu Nanqing grasped the hand that had just been brushed away again: "This way, I can speak with more confidence."
"……What?"
"Especially when...you don't know what to do."
It seemed that only by holding on like this could he be sure that Su Wanyan was still by his side.
Only in this way could he feel at ease.
"..." Through her clothes, Su Wanyan could feel the coolness from his palm. She didn't brush his hand away again: "Just for a little while."
"Hmm." Yu Nanqing's eyes flickered slightly, and with Su Wanyan's permission, the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up.
He suddenly asked her, "Su Wanyan, shall we take a gamble?"
"Let's make a bet?" Su Wanyan looked up at him. "What kind of bet?"
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