Chapter 916 Going Down the Mountain (3)
Madam Ji laughed, “Princess Rui is soft-hearted, but it’s no wonder, even an ordinary girl wouldn’t want to see rabbits or even animals being killed.” As if afraid that Madam Ye would continue to interrogate Shen Miao, Madam Ji deliberately changed the subject and asked Madam Ye, “Speaking of which, I heard that Young Master Ye had a pain a few days ago, is he feeling better now?”
Young Master Ye, of course, refers to the legitimate son born to the concubine of the Ye family and raised under the name of Madam Ye. Upon hearing this, Madam Ye said, "He's okay. It's just an old ailment. He gets in great pain when it rains. There's been no way to help him for so many years." Her tone was filled with indifference.
Shen Miao later learned from Bajiao that although Young Master Ye was nominally the legitimate son of the Ye family and the servants treated him with respect, they secretly thought he had no future. Madam Ye was only superficially nice to him but never truly cared about him.
Shen Miao actually felt that this Young Master Ye, whom she had never met before, was a bit pitiful.
Madam Ji then engaged in another heated argument with Madam Ye, perhaps intentionally trying to divert Madam Ye's attention. Eventually, Madam Ye seemed to grow impatient and stood up to leave.
Shen Miao and Madam Ji sat together again and waited.
The sun gradually set, but there was still no sign of Emperor Yongle and Xie Jingxing.
Shen Miao instructed Mo Qing: “Go and ask around, is there any news about them?”
Madam Ji smiled and said, "Don't worry, there have been times like this before. Hunting requires patience and time often passes by in a flash. The road to Hualuan Peak is too steep and it is difficult to walk after dark, so we have to wait until the next day to come back." Even so, the slight anxiety in her eyes was still caught by Shen Miao.
Shen Miao didn't know if she was being too sensitive. If she didn't know about some of the things that happened to Xie Jingxing before, she might have really put her mind at ease. But this time, she had a bad feeling, and she knew that Xie Jingxing's trip was not as easy as it seemed, so her heart tightened.
After the sun set, the sky gradually darkened. The emperor had not yet returned. Except for some young ladies and female relatives who had already gone back, the ministers were still around the hunting grounds. Shen Miao asked Madam Ji if this was the first time such a situation had occurred. Madam Ji said, "Not really, but it rarely happened in the past."
Some officials had already set up camp, using long cloth to make tent-like things. Even in summer, they could not avoid the dew at night to prevent catching a cold. The Ji family also made such a tent.
Shen Miao was originally walking outside when she saw Lu Wan'er standing not far away, talking to a middle-aged man. She seemed to be acting coquettishly or begging, but the man remained unmoved. Then, Lu Wan'er was forcibly dragged onto a carriage and escorted away by a group of guards.
Perhaps Lu Wan'er wanted to stay here, but the man wouldn't allow it. Shen Miao was about to leave when the man, seemingly sensing her gaze, suddenly turned around, revealing a ferocious face. He was as burly as a bear, his face full of bloodthirstiness, as if he also had a very violent temper. Looking at Shen Miao, his eyes were gloomy. Bajiao said, "That's the head of the Lu family, General Lu Zhengchun."
Shen Miao suddenly realized that this was Lu Wan'er's father, the Lu family's military commander. Then, she was surprised. As a fellow military commander, Shen Xin was also quite heroic, but he wasn't as violent as this man, barely able to conceal his murderous intent. He was a natural killer. Shen Miao had previously wondered how the Lu family had managed to maintain such a high reputation and status in Longye, given how Madam Lu, Lu Wan'er, and Concubine Jing didn't seem particularly bright. But now that she saw Lu Zhengchun, she understood. With such a killer, it was no wonder Emperor Yongle couldn't easily take action against the Lu family.
Lu Zhengchun stayed here, I wonder if he was also waiting for a result on Hualuan Peak? Shen Miao thought in her heart, her eyes swept across Lu Zhengchun, and turned away.
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