Chapter 84 "Does Princess Zilu like it?"...
Chapter 84: Liking==
Mount Li is majestic and has hunting grounds, archery ranges, and grasslands for horseback riding. The emperor and empress stayed in the main tent, while the others stayed in the remaining tents. Prince Xiao Yu of Beili had a separate tent, Princess Weiyang shared a tent with Su Wanyue, and Qin Jue shared a tent with Prince Xiang.
Princess Weiyang was a restless person, and she urged Su Wanyue to go to the archery range to practice archery. Su Wanyue asked her why she didn't go horseback riding, and Princess Weiyang pouted, "It would be so boring to go horseback riding every time we hunt. Oh, Wanwan, why don't you come with me?"
Unable to resist her pleading, Su Wanyue nodded gently. As soon as the two girls stepped out of the tent, they bumped into Qin Jue and Prince Xiang, who were coming out of the Emperor and Empress's tent. Prince Xiang gestured with his chin and asked with some curiosity, "Weiyang, Wanwan, what are you planning to do?"
"Wanwan and I plan to go to the archery range to learn archery." Prince Xiang doted on his younger sister, Princess Weiyang, and Princess Weiyang was closest to her older brother, Prince Xiang. She raised her pretty face and pouted.
"You're going to practice archery?" Prince Xiang seemed to have heard something unbelievable. He looked at Princess Weiyang and Su Wanyue with suspicion and teased, "But you've never practiced archery before. You might not even be able to lift a bow and arrow."
Princess Weiyang's face immediately fell. Qin Jue's gaze held a hint of disapproval, and his voice carried a touch of anger as he pressured his usually unreliable younger brother, "Second brother."
Even his younger brother, Prince Xiang, was somewhat intimidated by Crown Prince Qin Jue's imposing presence. Knowing that his elder brother always doted on his two younger sisters, he simply raised his hand and remained silent. Qin Jue glanced at Su Wanyue behind Princess Weiyang and saw the eager gleam in her almond-shaped eyes. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Since both Weiyang and Wanwan want to go, then let them go."
Since Qin Jue had nothing to do today, he could accompany his two younger sisters to the archery range to practice archery and teach them a few things. Prince Xiang weakly raised his hand, "Then I want to go too. Brother, you can't favor one over the other."
Qin Jue glanced at him and said indifferently, "Let's go."
Right next to the main tent of Emperor Nanqiong and Empress Nanqiong was a tent on the right. Inside the huge tent, there was only a man of unparalleled elegance standing with his hands behind his back. Mo Yu bowed as he entered from outside. "Your Highness, Princess Zilu has gone to the archery range."
I remember three days ago, Eunuch Sheng, who was by the side of the Emperor of Nanqiong, came to the post station to inquire whether His Highness was going to the archery range. His Highness originally did not plan to come, but when he heard that Princess Zilu was coming, His Highness came immediately.
"She went alone?" Xiao Yuru's eyebrows twitched, and she finally made a move.
Mo Yu replied, "Your Highness, the princes and princesses of Nanqiong are also here."
"Second Brother, why is this bow so heavy?" At this moment, on the archery range, Princess Weiyang held a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, sweating profusely as she complained. Prince Xiang sighed helplessly, "I told you, this bow is so heavy. You girls aren't very strong, so you'll definitely find it heavy."
Princess Weiyang glanced at Wanwan, who had already shot an arrow beside her, and couldn't help but retort, "Didn't Wanwan pick them up? Humph, it must be because you didn't teach me well, Second Brother. I want Eldest Brother to teach me."
The Prince of Xiang spread his hands and smiled at Qin Jue. He was most helpless with his younger sister, Princess Weiyang. Qin Jue was instructing Su Wanyue on how to aim at the bullseye. Upon hearing this, Qin Jue asked Princess Weiyang to wait a while, but Princess Weiyang refused and insisted that Qin Jue come over. Su Wanyue smiled slightly and said that she should be able to aim after a few tries. This younger sister learns everything very quickly. Qin Jue was obviously at ease. He nodded and told Su Wanyue to be careful.
Su Wanyue wouldn't hurt herself, but perhaps because it was her first time practicing archery, she had trouble aiming. Each arrow she shot hit the target in front of her, but it was difficult to hit the bullseye on the first try. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Upon seeing this, Prince Xiang clapped his hands and solemnly praised her, saying, "Your archery skills are superb, truly admirable."
Su Wanyue: "..."
She knew, of course, that her archery skills were lacking, so she picked up another arrow and tried to aim before shooting, but it still missed by a little bit. Just as the Prince of Xiang was about to praise her, Xiao Yu walked slowly over. He immediately noticed the girl's forehead was covered in sweat, and she was clearly a little anxious. Then he looked at the arrow that had missed the target and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Your Highness Prince Cheng." Prince Xiang immediately walked over to Xiao Yu with a polite attitude and exchanged pleasantries with him.
“Prince Xiang.” Xiao Yu smiled slowly and deliberately, his demeanor refined and elegant. For some reason, even though they were both from royal families, Prince Xiang always felt as if he were a lot shorter than Prince Cheng. He asked Xiao Yu if he also wanted to shoot an arrow.
Xiao Yu spoke slowly, saying that he was not very skilled in archery and would not try to teach others. Prince Xiang almost thought he had misheard and was about to ask again when he saw Prince Cheng walk slowly toward Wanwan. Su Wanyue gave him a graceful curtsy and said, "This subject greets Your Highness Prince Cheng."
“When the princess shoots an arrow, she doesn’t have to estimate the bullseye’s position before drawing the bow. She can focus on the arrow and shoot it based on her intuition.” Xiao Yufeng looked at her seriously and chuckled.
Just now, His Highness Prince Cheng said that he was not very good at archery, so why is he now teaching Wanwan how to shoot the bullseye? It's obvious that he knows how to shoot arrows. Also, the fact that he went straight to Wanwan as soon as he arrived made Prince Xiang sense something was wrong. Considering the marriage alliance between the two countries, could it be that His Highness Prince Cheng of Beili likes Wanwan?
The Prince of Xiang stared in disbelief, looking at his elder brother on the other side. Qin Jue, with his handsome features, was helping Princess Weiyang hold her bow with one hand while shaking his head at him.
Now there was nothing the Prince of Xiang didn't understand. He shrugged and quietly moved to the other side. He hadn't really thought that His Highness Prince Cheng of Beili liked Wanwan.
Su Wanyue never expected that the man would come over to instruct her on how to shoot an arrow. Because she had already missed several arrows, she followed his instructions, adjusted her breathing, and drew the bow by feel. With a "whoosh," the arrow hit the target, just a tiny bit away from the bullseye.
The Prince of Xiang raised an eyebrow. This was truly a strategist. Qin'er was about to hand another arrow to Su Wanyue when Prince Cheng picked up an arrow with his well-defined knuckles and handed it to his own princess. Qin'er lowered her head slightly.
Su Wanyue's clear, watery eyes met Xiao Yu's. Xiao Yu handed her the arrow, which Su Wanyue took, only to find that his finger bones hadn't left her. The girl looked puzzled. Xiao Yu's profile was sharp, his expression stern. He glanced down at the girl, using the arrow to help her adjust her direction and footwork, then took a half step back. Su Wanyue understood immediately. She raised her almond-shaped eyes, drew the bow, and released it. Everyone looked up and saw that the arrow had hit the bullseye.
Su Wanyue's watery eyes instantly became bright and sparkling, as if they contained countless galaxies. She actually did it.
Catching a glimpse of the girl's bright eyes out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Yu's lips curled up, and his eyebrows tilted in a smile.
"My goodness, Wanwan, you're amazing! You hit the bullseye on your very first time practicing archery!" Princess Weiyang ran excitedly to Su Wanyue, her expression full of excitement.
Qin Jue's eyes were filled with admiration, while the Prince of Xiang looked incredulous and gave Su Wanyue a thumbs up. When he first learned archery, it took him more than a month to hit the bullseye.
"It's all thanks to His Highness Prince Cheng." Drawing the bow and releasing the arrow had taken a lot of the girl's strength. She was panting heavily, her face flushed. Su Wanyue quickly glanced at Xiao Yu and said to Princess Weiyang.
The Prince of Beili was of noble status and had an unparalleled demeanor, but he was extremely indifferent when looking at people. Princess Weiyang was a little afraid of him, so she just winked at Su Wanyue without saying a word.
Xiao Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze lightly falling on Su Wanyue, and chuckled, "Does Princess Zilu like it?"
Do you like it...?
Su Wanyue realized that he wasn't asking if she liked him teaching her archery, but rather if she liked him.
Princess Weiyang and Prince Xiang didn't understand his hidden meaning and remained calm. However, Qin Jue and Su Wanyue both understood his implied meaning. Qin Jue's eyes darkened, and he turned to ask Princess Weiyang if she wanted to continue practicing. Princess Weiyang only had a fleeting enthusiasm for everything. She had just tried for a long time and could barely lift the bow. Her enthusiasm had long since run out. She shook her head and said she didn't want to practice anymore. Qin Jue guessed that was the case and made the final decision, "Then let's go."
Princess Weiyang said "Oh" and tried to pull Su Wanyue away, but her second brother, Prince Xiang, walked up to her and exaggeratedly winked at her, implying that she should leave. Even if she was oblivious, Princess Weiyang understood at that moment.
She felt as if she had discovered a huge secret. No wonder her father and mother had suggested hunting at Mount Li; it turned out that...
At this moment, only Su Wanyue and Xiao Yu remained in the archery range. Qin'er and Mo Yu walked to a distance away from them and stopped.
This feeling made Su Wanyue feel as if she were having an affair with him. However, Xiao Yu was not as thin-skinned as a young girl. He had fair skin and a handsome face, and he could still stare at her and ask slowly, "Princess, you have not yet answered my question."
His calm and composed demeanor made Su Wanyue glare at him fiercely. She replied ambiguously, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness Prince Cheng."
She never uttered the word "like," and Xiao Yu had already figured out the girl's personality: she dared to love and hate, but was also a little hypocritical. He wasn't in a hurry; he was willing to wait for her to say the word "like."
The thought of hearing the word "like" from her lips in the future sent a shiver through Xiao Yu's heart, his chest trembling uncontrollably. He closed his eyes slightly, regaining his gentle and refined demeanor, and asked with a warm gaze, "Princess Zilu, would you like to try again?"
Just now, Su Wanyue's arrow hit the bullseye, and she was in the most excited moment. As soon as she bent down, Xiao Yu handed her the arrow. Based on the feeling she had when she drew the bow and released the arrow, Su Wanyue shot ten arrows in a row, each hitting the bullseye. She smiled with her eyebrows curving and her eyes sparkling.
"The princess is very capable," Xiao Yu said with a smile.
Mo Yu and Qin'er both pricked up their ears to listen. As the head of the secret guards of the Prince Cheng's mansion, Mo Yu's ears were always very sharp. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time their master had ever praised someone, and it was a young girl in the prime of her youth.
He could tell that his master truly adored Princess Zilu.
Su Wanyue was still holding the bow in her arms. "Your Highness, you flatter me."
From afar, they could see the figures of Prince Cheng and their Princess Zilu. Eunuch Sheng's eyes lit up. Since Prince Cheng had already taken the initiative, it seemed that His Majesty's guess was correct.
Eunuch Sheng stepped forward with a smile and gave a slight bow. "His Highness Prince Cheng and Princess Zilu have been hard to find. His Majesty has summoned you."
Su Wanyue: "We're coming right now."
Since Xiao Yu was a distinguished guest, Su Wanyue, as a princess of the royal family, naturally couldn't leave him behind and go ahead. She looked at Xiao Yu with bright eyes and asked, "Would Your Highness Prince Cheng like to come along?"
A gentle breeze swept by, ruffling the girl's hair. Xiao Yu didn't answer her question, but instead took a step closer. The two were now only half a centimeter apart. The ambergris scent emanating from him enveloped Su Wanyue tightly. Having never been so close to a young man before, Su Wanyue instinctively wanted to close her eyes.
Cool, fair fingers straightened her slightly tilted pink peony hairpin, and Xiao Yu, in a close, intimate manner, whispered in her ear, his voice hoarse and deep, "What is Princess Zilu thinking, hmm?"
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