Chapter 136 The Unloved Princess 11
An assassin appeared in the hunting ground. Logically, the hunting should have been cancelled and the emperor should have returned to the imperial capital. However, the old emperor was very stubborn this time. Seeing that the assassin had been caught, he insisted on continuing according to the original plan.
The emperor's order cannot be disobeyed. Although the court officials had concerns, they still continued as ordered.
However, the appearance of an assassin in the hunting ground had alarmed everyone, and the number of patrolling guards on the ground had more than doubled. Not only had they strengthened the defenses around the emperor's tent, but the guards in black armor were divided into five rows and patrolled the surroundings day and night.
The people hunted a lot of wild game, but it was not easy to preserve it since winter had not yet arrived. Therefore, they usually held a bonfire dinner during the hunting period, roasting and sharing the hunted game.
Several bonfires had been lit in the open space not far from the tents, and the palace servants were busy serving roasted meat to the distinguished guests.
Roasted meat is a fishy, dry food; it's only good to savor occasionally, not overeat. The women took only a few bites before putting down their chopsticks. The married women chatted in groups of three or four, while the unmarried ladies, their eyes sparkling with joy, gathered in groups, laughing and joking.
It was a rare hunting occasion, and the atmosphere was lively with the young men showing off their skills. Normally, strong liquor and barbecue are popular. However, since His Majesty was present, no one dared to drink strong liquor, and instead enjoyed a few glasses of fruit wine, which was quite pleasant.
Having been emperor for decades, he had eaten too many delicacies and looked down upon these roasted meats. The old emperor waved his hand, dismissing the palace servants who were offering roasted meats. He looked at the crowd and frowned, "Isn't the princess here yet?"
There is more than one princess in the palace, but the personal palace maid knows exactly who the princess His Majesty is referring to.
"I just sent someone to His Highness's tent. He is bathing now and will be here soon."
The old emperor nodded and said, "There are many hunting grounds today. Tell someone to pick out a few good ones for Qiao Qiao to roast. They will be ready for use when Qiao Qiao arrives."
The old emperor was a cold-hearted person, and he valued himself the most. He loved those he loved and wanted them dead, and he treated the dozen or so children under him indifferently.
Now that Princess Lingqiao has returned to the palace, he seems to feel guilty, and his fatherly heart seems to be poured into Princess Lingqiao. Whenever he sees something good, he is eager to give it to her.
The personal palace attendant was shocked, but despite the absurdity, he also felt it was natural to do so, so he respectfully responded and quickly retreated.
Lin Qinghuai, who was standing below, watched the old emperor's actions. He held a glass of sake in his hand, his face expressionless, but he was a little anxious in his heart because of today's assassin.
Over the years, he has become accustomed to keeping everything he cares about under control. The removal of the secret guards by His Highness's side and the sudden appearance of assassins in the hunting grounds really made him feel the long-lost worry.
He raised the cup and drank the sake in one gulp, his lowered eyes hiding the contemplation in them. No matter what, he had to put the secret guard back by His Highness's side.
Otherwise, he would not feel at ease.
The originally noisy hunting ground gradually became quiet. Lin Qinghuai looked up as if he had sensed something and looked towards the entrance of the hunting ground. Sure enough, he saw the figure of His Highness at a glance.
But before he could feel happy, he saw Wei Ce approaching with a plate of roasted meat, his eyes wide open...
Lin Qinghuai: “…”
He looked up at the old emperor who had an approving look on his face, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart.
The old emperor was not only incredibly stupid, but also quite fickle-minded. A few days ago, he had seemed intent on assigning the princess, who hadn't returned to the palace yet, to him, but now he looked down on him.
With a slightly gloomy expression, Lin Qinghuai sneered.
The old emperor was old and tired after a day. Soon he left the hunting ground and returned to his tent.
Without the presence of the emperor, the court officials, daughters of wealthy families and young masters, who had been feeling a little restrained, felt much more at ease.
It has been three months since the last time we saw Princess Lingqiao. Now without His Majesty present, everyone's eyes were no longer wandering, and they were staring intently at Princess Lingqiao not far away.
Under everyone's intense gaze, Wei Ce quickly came to Nan Qiao and said with a smile, "Your Highness, how are you? Today's roasted meat is quite good. Although it can't compare to the delicacies in the palace, it still has its own unique flavor. Your Highness, why not try it?"
The sliced roasted meat was placed on a jade-white plate. The skin was shiny, as if it had been brushed with honey, and it was filled with fragrance.
The life in Hanyun Temple was austere and the monks did not eat meat or drink alcohol. Nan Qiao had never eaten roasted meat before. She took the roasted meat and thanked him.
She sat down at a table nearby, picked up her chopsticks, picked up a small piece of roasted meat and put it into her mouth.
It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a hint of sweetness. It was indeed very delicious. Nan Qiao narrowed her eyes and saw that Wei Ce was still guarding her. She asked curiously, "Did the prince bake this?"
Wei Ce: “I baked it.”
Nan Qiao picked up another piece and said, "It's really good roasted. It's delicious."
Wei Ce was delighted to hear this. The general, who had been in the army for many years, was like a young man who had just begun to fall in love. He was even a little embarrassed: "We all learned this in the military."
Life in the frontier was harsh, and there wasn't much meat to eat. If we had nothing to do on weekdays, we would go to the nearby mountains to hunt for some prey, which was a way to satisfy our hunger.
Nan Qiao nodded and continued eating silently. A plate of roasted meat was not a lot, and it was finished in a short time.
Wei Ce said, "Your Highness, do you still want to eat? I'll grill it for you now..."
Nan Qiao was about to refuse, but before she could say anything, Wen Ya's voice came from the side.
"Roasted meat is fishy and dry, and too greasy. If you are weak, you shouldn't eat too much."
This sound?
Nan Qiao's eyebrows twitched, and she looked sideways, only to see Lin Qinghuai, with fluttering clothes, already standing beside her, holding a cup of tea in his hand.
Lin Qinghuai smiled and handed the teacup over, saying softly, "The roasted meat is too greasy. Your Highness, please have a cup of tea."
Even though she had received several letters from the other party, this was the first time they met face to face. Nan Qiao was stunned for a moment, then quickly took the tea handed to her by the other party.
Two equally white hands alternated, one with slender fingers and the other with distinct joints. While alternating, the big hand with distinct joints inadvertently touched the fingertips of the other.
Ever since Lin Qinghuai appeared, the smile on Wei Ce's lips became more dangerous, his eyes flickered, and his expression became a little serious.
The teacup was not hot and the tea inside was just warm enough. Nan Qiao also said thank you and lowered his eyes to drink a sip of tea.
Wei Ce: "I heard that Prime Minister Lin also participated in the hunt today. I believe he got a lot."
Lin Qinghuai laughed: "I am just a civil official, naturally I am not as brave as the prince. Today I just caught a fox by luck."
He looked at His Highness, who had already put down his teacup, and said, "That fox's fur is snow-white, without a single speck of other colors. It's a rare sight. It would be a shame to skin it, but it would be nice to keep it as a pet."
Foxes with pure white fur are indeed rare, even on the mountain next to Hanyun Temple. Nan Qiao listened carefully and nodded from time to time.
"...It's a pity that I'm so busy with official duties and have no other relatives in Canada, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of it properly. I wonder if Your Highness would be so free as to raise that white fox for me?"
Raise it for him?
Nan Qiao was stunned. What did this mean?
Lin Qinghuai smiled warmly: "If you had a little pet by your side, Your Highness might be happier."
An unmarried princess cannot leave the palace at will. Nan Qiao is unwilling to ask her father for help. Since returning to the palace, Jintang has been well-behaved under the guidance of the nanny and rarely makes a fuss in front of her.
When I look up, I only see a square sky, which makes me feel disgusted. Apart from reading and reciting scriptures every day, I don’t know what to do.
Nan Qiao was silent for a moment, pursed her lips, did not refuse, and said seriously: "Thank you, Prime Minister."
Lin Qinghuai smiled lightly, his eyebrows and eyes were as gentle as a painting, and the figure of His Highness in front of him was reflected in his eyes. In the past three months, most of the communication was through letters or secret guards. This was the first time he had a face-to-face conversation with His Highness like this.
The figure he had been thinking about day and night was right in front of him. Even a cold-hearted and profit-seeking Prime Minister like Lin couldn't help but feel romantic thoughts in his heart.
...It's just a pity, it would be great if there weren't other irrelevant people between the two of them.
Lin Qinghuai kept smiling, but he felt emotional in his heart.
Both of them were as white as white jade. At this moment, they lowered their eyes and smiled slightly, raised their eyebrows and whispered, as if they were two graceful immortals in exile. The atmosphere was so harmonious that outsiders seemed as if mortals could not interfere. They looked really well-matched.
Wei Ce's face darkened for only a moment. His strong hands clenched and unclenched, and he calmly interrupted the conversation between the two and said, "An assassin appeared just now, and there was some chaos in the hunting grounds. Did it disturb Your Highness?"
Nan Qiao paused and quickly shook his head.
Wei Ce raised his eyebrows and said, "That's good. Even if the assassin has been caught, we must not let our guard down these few days."
Caught?
Nan Qiao's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked doubtfully, "The assassin has been caught?"
Even after only a few moments together, Nan Qiao could easily see that the man was able to talk and laugh calmly in a crisis, and he didn't look like someone who would be easily caught.
Wei Ce and Lin Qinghuai are both extremely intelligent people. How could they not notice the change in the expression of the prince in front of them?
Thinking of the direction the guards had chased the assassin, Lin Qinghuai's eyes darkened slightly and he smiled, "Yes, they've caught him. He's a man in his forties, but his identity hasn't been verified yet."
A man in his forties.
Even though Nan Qiao didn't look up at the other person's face, she could tell from his voice that he was only in his early twenties...
Nan Qiao had a thoughtful look on her face, so there might be more than one assassin in the hunting ground. It seemed that she had to be careful in the hunting ground these days.
"…What is your Highness thinking about?"
Nan Qiao came back to her senses, her eyelashes trembling as she said, "I'm thinking there might be more than one assassin, and there might be accomplices on the run. We still have to be careful these days."
Wei Ce's eyes were gloomy, and he curled his lips and said, "Your Highness, don't worry. I have already instructed the patrol guards to guard the tent day and night."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Prince."
Nan Qiao said softly.
The moon was above the willows, and it was late at night. It was time to go back and rest. Nan Qiao said goodbye to the two of them, turned around and walked out of the hunting ground with Jintang.
The moonlight poured down, accompanied by the flicker of the bonfire that had not yet been extinguished, shining on the two of them, and silence gradually spread.
After watching the frail figure disappear from his sight, Wei Ce withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice with some entanglement: "You should just keep your secret guard there."
Lin Qinghuai had an indifferent expression and turned to leave the hunting ground, ignoring Wei Ce's words.
Whether he agrees or not, he must release this secret guard.
It was truly unpleasant that a man had been remembered by His Highness without his knowledge.
The author has something to say:
Please prepay!
I want to eat barbecue brushed with honey and Cantonese barbecued pork!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
