"Young lady, you have a sharp eye. Now, guess who I am?" The Ninth Prince took out the ivory fan again and unfolded it with a "poof".
Lanqin was in a very good mood. The Eighth Prince's words had been so pleasant to hear. Although she knew he was flattering her, she still felt good about herself. No wonder the Eighth Prince had earned the nickname "Eighth Wise Prince." Plus, he was truly handsome and dashing. Lanqin still stared at him with a lovesick expression, completely unaware that the Fourth Prince beside her was already frowning.
Seeing that Lanqin seemed not to have heard him, the Ninth Prince awkwardly closed his fan, startling Lanqin, who was grinning foolishly at the Eighth Prince, awake with a snap.
Damn, the Eighth Prince is such a handsome man! No wonder, if his mother, Consort Liang, hadn't been so beautiful, she wouldn't have been able to rise from a lowly servant in the Imperial Laundry to the position of a high-ranking concubine.
"Uh, this concubine has met Ninth Prince." Lanqin smiled at the Ninth Prince, who was described in historical records as quick-witted, fond of business, and fond of beautiful women. She thought to herself that the Ninth Prince was quite handsome, but compared to the Eighth Prince from before, he was a level below.
"This concubine greets the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince!" Before they could react, Lanqin quickly nodded and bowed to the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince.
"No need for such formalities, cousin." The Tenth Prince was imposing, with a dignified appearance and a broad chest, exuding an aura that could withstand ten thousand men.
"Cousin, you're so majestic!" Lanqin immediately realized that the Tenth Prince's mother, Consort Wenxi, and her adoptive father, Lingzhu, were descended from the same great-grandfather. Since they had already taken the initiative to acknowledge their kinship, she should hurry and accept them. Although the Consort was no longer with them, the Tenth Prince was still greatly favored by Emperor Kangxi, who took him along on several southern tours. Although he represented the Niohuru clan, they were still father and son; the bond between them couldn't be simply described as favor.
Lanqin suddenly had a thought: the Tenth Prince was one of the few princes who lived to see the Qianlong Emperor's reign. Why was he able to escape the Yongzheng Emperor's purge? Could it be related to her cousin relationship with him? Could it be that the Yongzheng Emperor saw that the Qianlong Emperor's maternal clan was the Niohuru clan, and therefore gave the Tenth Prince a break?
From historical records or various television dramas, Lanqin knew that the five princes present today were all involved in the struggle for the throne among the nine princes. Their fates differed, but in the end, it was their own men who succeeded in winning the throne.
Lanqin involuntarily turned her head to look at the Fourth Master beside her, only to find that he had been frowning for a long time.
"Well, she's jealous. Did she see her sister glancing at the Eighth Prince a few more times?" Lanqin thought to herself. "Feudal men are so domineering. They allow themselves to have three wives and four concubines. They can't stand it when a woman looks at another man a few more times."
However, she immediately lowered her eyes and stopped looking around. If she really angered the Fourth Master, she would be the one to suffer.
Seeing that she had become obedient, Fourth Master cleared his throat and pointed his whip forward: "Let's set off. First, check the compass and determine your location. When the appointed time arrives, meet here. The winner will be the one with the most prey. Anyone who fails to return on time will be considered to have forfeited. If you encounter any danger, use a signal flare to alert those nearby to come to your rescue."
Upon hearing this, the Fourteenth Prince and the Tenth Prince rushed out first, running wildly towards the woods, followed by their servants and hunting dogs.
This was Lanqin's first time participating in this ancient hunting expedition, and you can imagine her excitement. She couldn't help but tighten the reins, eager to try it out.
"You're not allowed to run around on your own. Stay behind me and don't be distracted!" Fourth Master said in a deep voice.
"Master, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up and leave. Otherwise, they'll have hunted all the prey." Lanqin almost couldn't resist kicking the horse's belly.
"If you win, you can become the most beautiful courtesan in the Hidden Phoenix Pavilion. Do you want me to win?" Fourth Master suddenly said.
Hmph, as expected, petty and narrow-minded, deliberately trying to provoke me. He was all tenderness and affection at the lotus pond, and now he's using that sarcastic tone. Fourth Master, your mood changes way too quickly!
Lanqin deflated like a punctured balloon and obediently stopped talking.
The Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince smiled, then raised their whips and rode away.
“It seems that this Niohuru clanswoman is truly favored by Fourth Brother,” the Ninth Prince said, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Eighth Prince.
"You're being overly concerned with what happens in their private quarters," the Eighth Prince said calmly. The servants behind them spurred their hunting dogs, giving chase.
"Eighth Brother, I'm not planning to win. How about I just follow you?" The Ninth Prince didn't like the glory that came from physical strength. Following the Eighth Brother was easy and less humiliating. The Eighth Brother would naturally share some of the prey with him.
"Then why did you arrange that whole thing? He values his reputation most, he won't fall for your trap so easily!" The Eighth Prince glanced at the Ninth Prince and said, "Just follow me."
After saying this, the Eighth Prince kicked the horse's belly again and galloped away. The Ninth Prince naturally spurred his horse and followed closely behind.
After everyone had left, Fourth Master said to the people behind him, "You go first, release the hunting dogs and let them go find prey. We'll follow." He didn't want to hunt any wild beasts; it was just for fun, why bother with all that effort?
Lanqin's expectations of a thrilling adventure were dashed once again. They slowly followed the hunting dogs through the woods, and after an hour, they had only managed to hunt a few rabbits and a mountain bird.
"What do you think of the Eighth Prince?" Fourth Prince suddenly asked again for no apparent reason.
Huh? This gentleman is acting strangely today. Why does his mood seem a bit off? Lanqin couldn't remember why Fourth Master had become so unpredictable after recovering from his illness.
"Judging from your appearance, the Eighth Prince is upright and speaks humbly; he should be a gentleman." Lanqin was not actually flattering the Eighth Prince. Historical records state that Aisin Gioro Yinzhi was intelligent, talented, kind, and well-liked.
"What about the Ninth Prince?" The Fourth Prince suppressed his displeasure and continued to ask.
“The Ninth Prince must be a man of strong emotions. If he weren’t a prince, he might have been a successful businessman.” Lanqin rummaged through the records about Peach Blossom Ninth Prince in her mind again. It was said that he was very good at calculating, especially when it came to money.
The Fourth Prince sneered, his eyes revealing undisguised disdain, and said, "Ninth Prince, you've got a good eye; he loves the smell of money. Eighth Prince, humph!" With that, the Fourth Prince spurred his horse and rode off.
Damn it, you're the one who told me to say it, and now you're upset again? Lanqin had no choice but to kick the horse's belly and follow closely behind Fourth Master, and they started running.
A commotion broke out ahead, and someone shouted: "There's prey ahead!"
Fourth Master's expression hardened, and he shouted at Lanqin behind him, "You're at the back of the group, don't come any closer."
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