Before they knew it, it was autumn hunting day. Chu Yunhan made a fox fur cloak from somewhere and carefully draped it over Gu Qingqiu's shoulders. He even took her hand and helped her into the sedan chair.
It seems that she still has to put on an act in front of outsiders. Gu Qingqiu cooperated very well, smiling silently as she took Chu Yunhan's hand, exuding the aura of a virtuous princess.
However, as soon as he got into the sedan chair, Chu Yunhan quietly removed Gu Qingqiu's hand from his arm.
Gu Qingqiu shrugged indifferently, moved to the side of her seat, and remained silent.
Although it was called an autumn hunt, it was more like a large-scale social event.
As soon as Chu Yunhan and Gu Qingqiu stepped out of the sedan chair, countless men and women surrounded Chu Yunhan to greet him.
Gu Qingqiu admired Chu Yunhan. He could chat with everyone and seemed elegant and eloquent, showing none of the sinister and cruel nature he displayed in the Prince's mansion.
But Gu Qingqiu didn't recognize any of them, so she could only maintain a professional smile throughout.
Then an old man with white hair, a dignified expression, and strong muscles arrived. This time, Chu Yunhan's attitude seemed much more upright and humble, and the old man even boldly patted Chu Yunhan on the shoulder.
Just as Gu Qingqiu was wondering who he was, the old man spoke up, "Qingqiu, you didn't say anything to me. Is there something you're unhappy about? Lately, things have been complicated, and I heard that you have an infectious disease that makes it inconvenient for you to see people, so I didn't rush to visit the Prince's mansion. It doesn't matter to my old bones, but your younger brother is still young. What if he gets infected too?"
So this is General Gu… Gu Qingqiu felt a little embarrassed, but what did "infectious disease" mean? Just as she was about to speak, Chu Yunhan spoke up first to explain for her, "Qingqiu has had some memory loss since she woke up. The Prince’s mansion has searched for famous doctors to treat her, but to no avail. I was afraid that General Gu would worry, so I didn’t say anything. It was my oversight."
"Sigh... How could this happen?" General Gu grabbed Gu Qingqiu's hand. "Qingqiu, I am your father. Don't you really remember me?"
Gu Qingqiu looked bewildered, but still managed to call out, "...Father?"
"Hey!" General Gu grabbed Gu Qingqiu's hand and talked about a lot of things from her childhood, trying to awaken Gu Qingqiu's dormant memories, but it was obviously ineffective. After all, these experiences did not belong to Gu Qingqiu. Not only did they not resonate with Gu Qingqiu, but some of the experiences even made Gu Qingqiu so embarrassed that she scratched her toes.
In the end, Chu Yunhan came to the rescue, saying he needed to pay his respects to his elder brother and took Gu Qingqiu away.
However, Gu Qingqiu's questioning came late but surely: "Your Highness, what's wrong with my infectious disease?"
Chu Yunhan's expression remained unchanged. "This was not my intention, but it was inconvenient for me to reveal that I was poisoned. My strategist could only find an excuse by talking about you. At the time, he probably thought that since you were lying in bed all day, my poison might be cured when you woke up. By the time I woke up, the rumor had already spread."
Gu Qingqiu said helplessly, "Oh, so my reputation doesn't matter at all? You guys are really good at making things up. I'm lying in bed all day, where could I possibly catch an infectious disease?"
“The strategist naturally considered this as well.” Chu Yunhan raised an eyebrow. “They said that the servant who delivered the vegetables had an affair with your maid, and then your maid infected you.”
Gu Qingqiu was utterly dumbfounded. "If Ziyun can't get married in the future, will the Prince's Mansion take responsibility?"
"Of course," Chu Yunhan replied. "I have noticed that although your maid is not very bright, she is honest and capable, and a good girl. I will not mistreat her and will definitely find her a suitable husband in the future."
"In that case, I thank Your Highness on behalf of Ziyun." Ziyun had always taken good care of Gu Qingqiu, so Gu Qingqiu also wanted to secure a good future for Ziyun before leaving this world.
Before the autumn hunt officially began, a large "feast" was held, after which the women gathered to chat, while the men rode their horses into the deep forest.
Gu Qingqiu used feeling unwell as an excuse to retreat back to the hunting tent that had been set up in advance.
Being completely unfamiliar with the place, Gu Qingqiu was extremely bored and could only tease the Persian cat that someone had brought.
As evening fell, the men returned laden with their prey. The emperor was in a good mood, and everyone began another round of drinking and feasting.
Despite the outward harmony, the princes and princes were actually engaged in a fierce and witty exchange, which Gu Qingqiu found quite fascinating.
The most outstanding performer was undoubtedly Chu Yunhan. It is said that he went all out and successfully hunted two wild boars, a deer, and even a tiger. The rabbits and foxes that others showed off were completely insignificant to Chu Yunhan.
Many people outwardly envied Chu Yunhan, but their eyes betrayed their undisguised hostility and jealousy.
Chu Yunhan smiled and accepted everyone's praise. However, after a few drinks, he felt a little bored and used Gu Qingqiu as an excuse again, saying, "My lady's health has just improved and she needs to rest well. I must go back to accompany her. Everyone, please continue to have fun."
After saying that, he dragged Gu Qingqiu, who was still eating kebabs, back into the hunting tent.
Although Gu Qingqiu was enjoying the gossip, she pretended to be sleepy and apologized, saying, "Sorry to spoil everyone's fun."
No one said anything openly, and some even said that Chu Yunhan and Gu Qingqiu had a really good relationship.
The emperor looked at Gu Qingqiu with a kind smile, and Chu Yunhan left with his arm around Gu Qingqiu's waist.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Chu Yunhan dropped the pretense and immediately lowered his hand.
Gu Qingqiu casually sat down as well. "Your Highness, did you have fun today?"
"It's just like that." Chu Yunhan wasn't really interested either. "It's the same event every year, nothing interesting."
"Really?" Gu Qingqiu was generous with her praise. "I just saw the tiger you hunted. It was huge and majestic. I was even scared when I looked at it. You are really brave."
Regardless, men always appreciate praise from women, so Chu Yunhan returned the favor, saying, "I didn't expect the sachet you made for me to actually be so useful. I saw several people around me suffering from itchy insect bites, but I didn't have that problem at all. My brother even asked me curiously how I did it. What kind of medicinal herbs did you put inside? How could it be so effective?"
"That's good." Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just mixed litharge, cnidium monnieri and some alum into the spices. They are all common wild insect repellents."
"You actually know these things?" Chu Yunhan was somewhat surprised. "Could it be the wilderness survival skills that General Gu used when he led troops into battle?"
“No,” Gu Qingqiu said naturally. “I learned it from medical books in the library of the Prince’s mansion.”
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