wrath
At the foot of Maple Mountain, in the quiet night, in the Prince's villa.
Most of the palace servants had already gone to bed, leaving only four or five waiting in the courtyard, standing with their heads bowed, listening to the movements in the house.
In the quiet bedroom, the faint sobbing of a woman could be heard.
It stopped after about half an incense stick.
Qi Qinghe cried so hard that her eyes were red and swollen, and her fair face was covered with tear marks. The dark blue finger marks on her neck were particularly conspicuous. Her boneless wrist was firmly grasped by the prince.
After crying for a while, she calmed down a little, and her chaotic mind finally regained a bit of clarity. Thinking back on what she had just done, her whole body froze and she dared not move.
What on earth did she do in front of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? She cried, complained, and cursed, not at all like a Crown Princess of noble status.
Xiao Junbai noticed something strange about the person in his arms, so he let go of her slightly, lifted her chin with his big hand, and asked her what was wrong.
Qi Qinghe met the prince's mysterious black eyes, her heart trembled suddenly, she calmed herself down and shook her head.
She came to her senses in an instant. She had already decided to escape secretly, so why should she pay attention to the prince's thoughts?
Qi Qinghe carefully recalled every word he had just said and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he didn't say anything he shouldn't have said.
"I am not feeling well today, so I am unavoidably rude. Please don't blame me, Your Highness." She smiled lightly, "It is getting late, Your Highness, please go to bed early."
After saying that, she gently pushed the prince away and lay down on her side with her back to him.
The warm and soft embrace suddenly felt empty. Xiao Junbai pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, and stared at the person's back for a long time without moving.
Even when turning sideways, Qi Qinghe could still feel the burning gaze behind him.
After a while, there was a rustling sound, the bed frame beside her sank, and the man's hot body came up from behind. His strong arms were placed on her waist, and his breath sprayed on her shoulder sockets, which was itchy and quite unbearable.
Neither the couple spoke again.
Dawn broke in the sky, and the orange-red sunlight covered the sky and the earth. The entire Maple Mountain was shrouded in gray mist, and its true appearance was not visible.
Cheng Xi's voice knocking on the door was heard. Qi Qinghe listened to the subtle movements beside her, moved the arm across her waist, and breathed a sigh of relief almost inaudibly.
The palace maids filed in and helped His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wash and change his clothes.
Xiao Junbai changed his clothes, walked in from outside, sat on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed, and recalled everything that happened last night in his mind.
Everything the Crown Princess said last night was obviously true; she was not having an easy time in the palace.
What Xiao Junbai was particularly concerned about was what the Crown Princess said before going to bed. What did it mean that it was inevitably rude?
Is it because he preaches too much and makes the Crown Princess uncomfortable?
Thinking of this, the prince tilted his head and lowered his eyes, and the woman's slim figure came into his sight. She looked motionless, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and it was obvious that she had woken up.
He spoke softly and slowly, "It's the first day of the autumn hunt. We can't afford to delay. Let's get up early."
After saying this, the prince stood up and walked out of the house, heading straight for the study.
As the footsteps gradually faded away, Qi Qinghe slowly opened his eyes, turned over and sat up, and called someone into the house to wash up.
At the foot of Fengshan Mountain, there was a huge crowd of people everywhere.
It is rare to see so many nobles, the young men and women are all dressed in luxurious clothes and have smiling faces.
At first glance, it's impossible to tell who is who.
Qi Qinghe sat beside the prince, his eyes sweeping over all the officials and their families.
How can I find Qi Qingyu?
She was anxious in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She tilted her head and smiled, "Your Highness, would you like to try it?"
The Third and Fourth Princes are both riding into battle.
"What do you want?" Xiao Junbai asked in a calm voice.
There were many kinds of prey in the hunting ground, including rabbits, foxes, deer, and even a few hungry wolves with red eyes.
Qi Qinghe pondered for a moment and said, "I want a rabbit." After she finished speaking, she turned her head slightly and glanced at Chengxi.
Cheng Xi went over everything and understood that the Queen was talking about the relative who had fallen into the pit yesterday.
Xiao Junbai seemed unaware of anything. He slowly stood up, took the bow and quiver handed to him by the palace maid, jumped on his horse, glanced at Qi Qinghe from a distance, and rode away.
"The Crown Prince hasn't ridden a horse in many years." The Imperial Concubine said with a smile, "If I were to say, it would have been the Crown Princess who persuaded him."
The emperor hummed softly, without even glancing at the Crown Princess, "Look at the Crown Prince's skills, I'm afraid he must have practiced a lot."
"Mother is right." Qi Qinghe's eyebrows curved and she bowed slightly. "I have never seen Your Highness in such a state. Father and mother will allow me to join in the fun."
Where they were sitting was a little distance away from the hunting ground, so it didn't look very real.
The Imperial Concubine nodded slightly and spoke softly to His Majesty, "...The newlyweds really have a good relationship. They had a quarrel a few days ago that was known to everyone, and now they are being so affectionate again..."
Qi Qinghe was supported by Cheng Xi and walked towards the half-person-high railing in front of the hunting ground. The imperial concubine's voice drifted away and it was unclear what she said afterwards.
Among the numerous palaces and villas, the east side is where the servants live.
Chengxi led the empress all the way eastward.
At the gate of the servants' courtyard, two people were already waiting there. They were both wearing coarse grey cloth and were not tall. The servant on the left had his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up, looking quite neat.
The other person's gray shirt was so tattered that he could barely look like a human being. His face was covered in dust and could hardly be seen clearly. There was also a dark red birthmark on his forehead. His eyes were evasive and he didn't dare to look directly at the distinguished person. He spoke haltingly and imitated the people around him to salute.
No one could have imagined that this was Qi Qingyu, the daughter of an official in the court.
Qi Qinghe raised his eyebrows and looked up and down a few more times before he could vaguely make out the familiar facial features.
"Look, this is my poor relative." She looked away with a sinister look. "No need to give him any special treatment. Just take care of the dirty work."
The nimble servant nodded repeatedly, his mind as clear as a mirror.
The words of these noble people must be listened to in reverse. The more they say so, the less you should do any work. You should also search your whole body carefully and find nothing unusual.
Qi Qingyu was hunched over, and all she could see was the tip of her sister's shoes. She listened to her sister talking, remembered the word "pojiao", and limped away following the servant.
The matter was resolved smoothly, Qi Qinghe's heartbeat returned to his chest, and he turned back to the hunting ground.
All around the hunting ground, cheers and applause were deafening.
She found an inconspicuous corner and quietly watched the people riding their horses pass by, stirring up dust.
Xiao Junbai was wearing a sky-blue brocade robe and riding his maroon BMW at full gallop. He drew his bow and arrow in one go, aiming the sharp arrow directly at the snow rabbit in the grass.
The rabbit's nostrils twitched slightly, as if it smelled danger, and it jumped and hid in the grass.
In an instant, the prince loosened his fingers and the sharp arrow flew through the wind. With a whoosh, it was firmly nailed into the grass.
The accompanying servant rushed forward to check, and came back with the rabbit in his hand, praising the Crown Prince profusely.
Xiao Junbai turned a deaf ear to him, dismounted from his horse, and went straight towards Qi Qinghe.
Qi Qinghe was fascinated by the sight. When he saw someone striding towards him, he smiled broadly, "Your Highness is amazing. Your arrows never miss their target..."
As she spoke, her eyes passed over the prince and fantasized about the servant holding the rabbit behind the prince. He stared at the rabbit, unable to take his eyes off it.
The arrow shot by the prince hit the rabbit's right leg right on target. The rabbit was bleeding profusely and was being held by the ears, unable to struggle. Its bloodshot eyes looked quite pitiful.
"Thank you, Your Highness." She took a few steps forward, took the rabbit, and carefully held it in her arms, not forgetting to thank the prince, "I like it very much."
A smile flashed in Xiao Junbai's eyes, "Father and Mother are waiting."
The prince's excellent skills naturally did not escape the eyes of the emperor and the imperial concubine.
In addition to the rabbits that the Crown Princess loved, there were also a wild wolf, a wild deer, three foxes, and other prey of varying kinds. The harvest was quite bountiful.
Some were happy and some were sad. The prince was laughing, but someone in the dark was staring at him angrily, gritting his teeth, and wishing to tear him to pieces.
Fu Jingyuan's beautiful face twisted for a moment, then returned to composure. She turned and tried to leave, but was stopped by her brother.
Fu Jingxuan looked at his younger sister. She looked so familiar, why did she look so strange now? He sighed and advised, "There are so many nobles in the capital, why bother with the Crown Princess?"
Fu Jingyuan was silent for a moment, then raised the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Brother, it's easy for you to say that."
The Fu family is the queen's maternal family. It has been declining year by year in recent years. The head of the Fu family is the only official in the court. The younger generation is either addicted to alcohol and sex, or cannot bear the hardship of studying. How can they be considered a noble family in the capital?
Fu Jingxuan, the eldest son of the Fu family, was on good terms with the prince, but he spent his time drinking in brothels, never studied seriously, and was even less willing to serve as an official in the court.
In such a big family, there is no one who can take on the important task, so they can only place their hopes on Fu Jingyuan.
Unexpectedly, Fu Jingyuan failed to be selected, and the whole family's hopes were dashed.
Fu Jingxuan was speechless. He never expected it to be like this.
The brother and sister sat in silence. Fu Jingyuan waited for a moment, and seeing that his brother still couldn't speak, he sneered and left.
The sun was setting in the west, and the mountains were shrouded in dim darkness.
The emperor was very pleased and hosted a banquet for all officials.
The prey obtained by the prince was handed over to the imperial chef, and was transformed into delicious and fragrant delicacies, which were placed on the table.
Qi Qinghe poked the rabbit head on the table, feeling it was too hideous and horrible to eat, so he ate some snacks with the sweet fruit wine to fill his stomach.
After a while, she quietly apologized to His Highness, "I'm afraid I caught a cold wind today and feel unwell. Your Highness, please allow me to leave for a while. I'll be back soon."
Xiao Junbai nodded slightly. Seeing her dismiss the maid and slowly leave, he couldn't help but clench the silver chopsticks in his hand.
The emperor was in high spirits, chatting with his officials and laughing heartily. "What fun is there in drinking? Why don't you play some drinking games?"
Once these words were spoken, all officials responded.
Thousands of words and poems came out of his mouth, his interest became higher and higher, and he became more and more fearless while talking and laughing.
I don't know who it was, but he mentioned the Empress Dowager of the previous dynasty.
In an instant, the whole table fell silent. Those who were drinking and making noises stopped talking and dared not move.
Even the imperial concubine who was pouring wine for His Majesty and jokingly stopped and lowered her head in silence.
Everyone knows that the current emperor hates the Empress Dowager Qin very much, so he can say such words casually.
"Why did it stop?" The emperor chuckled, smashing the wine cup beside him to the ground. "Prince, how is the inspection going?"
Xiao Junbai stepped out and reported the results of the inspection so far.
Anyone who was mentioned during the banquet turned pale and his lips trembled, but he did not dare to refute. He just stepped out of the line and kowtowed to confess his guilt.
Except for one person.
He was clearly still there yesterday, but who would have thought that today, such a good person would disappear for no reason.
Qi Lin suppressed his raging heart, and he and his wife Qi Zhang took Qi Qingyu's portrait and asked around, but found nothing.
Although he heard that the emperor was furious, he did not feel it at all. He just listened with one ear and out with the other, secretly wondering about his daughter's possible whereabouts.
After all, his daughter married into the Eastern Palace and became the Crown Princess. How could he not be able to handle this little matter?
When Qi Lin suddenly heard his name from the prince's mouth, he was stunned for a moment, his face full of disbelief.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
