At this moment, inside the General's Mansion.
Madam Pan sat in her chair, her eyes lowered as she stared at Shuoyue kneeling on the ground before her. She frowned slightly. "You mean, that woman from the martial world impersonated you to participate in the autumn hunt?"
"Yes, when I woke up I found myself lying on the floor. The young master obviously sent me away on purpose so that she could impersonate me."
Shuoyue was sent by her to take care of Liu Chengfeng, so she shouldn't be lying.
Her brows furrowed even more, and her temples throbbed with pain. She took a deep breath and said coldly, "This is utter nonsense! Does the royal autumn hunt allow him to act as he pleases? If that woman from the martial world offends some noble person due to her lack of manners, won't she be disliked for no reason and bring shame to our Liu family? Feng'er is getting more and more willful as the years go by!"
Shuoyue said, "The young master has been going to see that woman from the martial arts world all the time lately. The two of them are very intimate. In all these years, I have never seen the young master care about a woman so much. I think he really likes her."
"Sincerity?" Madam Pan scoffed, saying sarcastically, "What's sincerity worth?"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Feng'er has been raised in the capital for many years and has not seen many women from outside the city. He just finds her unusual and interesting."
The Liu family had finally regained its former glory, but Liu Yu's official position was different from a noble title and could not be inherited. Therefore, for the sake of her son's future career, she would never allow him to marry a woman of unknown origin.
After a moment's thought, she had an idea. "Shuoyue, when they return from their autumn hunt tomorrow, you should continue to pretend you know nothing and serve the young master diligently. As for that woman from the martial world..."
She glanced at Mu Jin beside her and whispered in her ear, "Go find a few people and have them tie her up when the opportunity arises, beat her up, throw her out of the city, and warn her never to set foot in the capital again."
"yes."
Upon receiving the order, Mu Jin headed outside.
Shuoyue also withdrew, and as she walked to the door, a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
...
The final step of the autumn hunt is to process the game: the pelts are processed, the meat is cooked into dishes, and any remaining live prey is released back into the wild.
The banquet was held in the evening, with people eating around a bonfire. The men were drinking and making a lot of noise, while the women were much quieter.
Qingying had just sat down when she suddenly noticed a woman across from her sobbing uncontrollably. Curious, she asked Xie Jiaoying beside her, "What's wrong with her?"
Xie Jiaoying took a bite of rabbit meat, grinned defiantly at the other party, and laughed: "As soon as the rabbit meat was served, she started yelling, 'Rabbits are so cute, how can you eat rabbits?' So I twisted off the rabbit's head and gnawed on it right in front of her, and she cried like this."
Who is this person?
"General Chu's younger sister, Chu Xiangyu."
Now that you mention it, Qingying remembered.
Chu Xiangyu, the second eldest daughter of the Chu family, was fifteen years old and was notoriously spoiled. It is said that when she was eight years old, she went out in the rain and, fearing that the rain would wet the soles of her shoes, she had her servants lie on the ground to make a human bridge for her to step across.
Therefore, Lord Chu was impeached by his rivals and was severely reprimanded by the Emperor. In a fit of anger, he sent Chu Xiangyu back to her hometown in Huizhou.
"When did she return to the capital?" Qingying asked.
Xie Jiaoying thought for a moment and said, "She must have just returned a few days ago. She's just come of age, and Madam Chu wants to find her a good marriage."
"Did you have a grudge against her in the past?"
"No."
"Then why did you go and provoke her for no reason?" Qingying had just finished speaking when she turned her head slightly and met a hostile gaze directed at her from the other side.
She was slightly taken aback.
"I just can't stand people being pretentious in front of me." After Xie Jiaoying finished speaking, she suddenly put on a show-watching face and said, "I don't have any grudge against her, but you'll soon have one."
"What?" Qingying asked, puzzled.
Xie Jiaoying beckoned to her with her finger, and she obediently leaned in to listen.
"Rumor has it that she recently fell in love with His Highness the Crown Prince at first sight."
Qingying's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself: This is really a ghost.
After the results of today's autumn hunt were announced, the Emperor asked Wei Huaixu and Ayan what they wanted.
Ayan said she hadn't decided yet, so the Emperor told her to keep it to herself. Wei Huaixu, however, said he wanted an imperial decree to grant their marriage, to give his beloved woman a promise.
This effectively confirmed the rumors and made their affair public.
The Emperor's expression didn't change much at the time. He just turned to look at Liu Yu and said, "Miss Qingying is General Liu's beloved daughter. Marriage is a major event in life. I cannot issue an imperial decree directly. You need to personally consult with General Liu. Only after he nods can I draft this imperial decree."
Wei Huaixu bowed to Liu Yu with a humble attitude and said earnestly, "I admire Shushu and want to marry her. I hope the General will grant my request."
Liu Yu smiled and said, "Back then, Your Highness's martial arts skills were taught by me personally. I have watched Your Highness grow up, and I know your character and personality well. If my daughter has no objections, I would naturally be happy to see the two children become a good match."
Thus, the marriage between Qingying and Wei Huaixu was considered a done deal.
She hadn't really wanted to make it public too soon, because Wei Huaixu's position was just too conspicuous. And sure enough, the egg had barely cracked open when flies swarmed around it.
Qingying inwardly groaned. Fortunately, when she looked over again, Chu Xiangyu had already left her seat.
She took a sip of tea, still puzzled: "There were so many people there, why did she choose to take a liking to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Xie Jiaoying wiped the grease from her lips, took a sip of tea, leaned back, and adopted the air of a storyteller, "So, back then..."
"Stop!" Qingying rolled her eyes in a very inelegant way. "Can't you be normal for once?"
"Alright." Xie Jiaoying became more serious and explained, "That day, His Highness the Crown Prince arrived late. Guess what delayed him on the way?"
"Chu Xiangyu?"
"That's right. His Highness the Crown Prince encountered Chu Xiangyu, who had twisted her ankle, on his way to the center of the hunting grounds. He took her back to her room, which is why he arrived so late."
"No wonder I haven't seen her for the past two days, she twisted her ankle."
"Hey? Is the focus of this matter Chu Xiangyu? The focus is on your Crown Prince."
Qingying blinked. "What's wrong with him?"
"When he escorted Chu Xiangyu back to her room, there was bound to be physical contact. He had intimate relations with other women, and you didn't feel uncomfortable at all?"
"Why should I be upset? Isn't what he should have done? He couldn't just stand by and watch someone die, could he?"
Xie Jiaoying glanced at her and asked suspiciously, "Tell me honestly, are your feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince genuine, or are you acting out of necessity?"
"Of course it's true..."
"You are truly magnanimous; even the prime minister is not as magnanimous as you."
Qingying twisted her handkerchief and said softly, "I was just afraid of appearing too calculating."
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