Chapter 2 His little Jia Rou, it turns out, was unaware of...
A month ago, during a grand court assembly, the Northern Chu sent an envoy to pay homage.
In the height of spring, when all things were reviving, the envoy heard that there was a Mount Li to the north of the Great Wei, which was said to be the location of a dragon vein and a place where spiritual energy gathered, and where there were many rare and exotic beasts with great spirituality. So he proposed to go hunting at Mount Li to broaden his horizons. Emperor Yuan gladly agreed and set off for Mount Li with several princes and princesses.
Among the envoys sent by Northern Chu was Prince Zhuo Sha, who was competitive and skilled in riding and archery. He proposed a hunting competition with Great Wei, in which the team that hunted the most prey within the allotted time would win.
The Northern Chu delegation was led by a prince, and the Great Wei delegation naturally also had to send a prince.
Neither the eldest nor the second prince had any talent in riding and archery. Although they were taught by famous teachers, they were limited by their lack of talent and could not be considered proficient. Without thinking, Emperor Wei Yuan ordered Xiao Che to lead a group to compete with Prince Zhuo Sha.
Xiao Che smiled and looked towards Emperor Wei Yuan on the high throne: "If I win the competition, will Father bestow any reward upon me?"
Emperor Wei Yuan laughed heartily and said, "Of course. If Che'er wins the competition, just ask for whatever reward you want."
Yan Jiarou was peeling grapes with her head down, her ten fingers drenched in juice. She was about to ask Yingxue for a handkerchief to wipe her hands when she suddenly felt a burning gaze on her.
She looked up and met Xiao Che's gaze. He still had that carefree and nonchalant expression, a faint smile playing on his lips, frivolous and flirtatious, clearly plotting something wicked.
The Emperor granted him a reward, so why was he looking at her?
Yan Jiarou swallowed the grape she was chewing halfway down her throat, then protectively gathered the plate of grapes on the table in front of her, keeping her eyes down and her mouth closed.
These grapes were a tribute from the Western Regions, and there were only a few plates of them, making them extremely precious. He had previously said that he lost a bet, so he gave her his plate. Now, he probably doesn't regret it, does he?
Xiao Che paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle. He coughed lightly, covered his lips, and said nothing. He then looked away and got up to leave his seat.
Today he was dressed in a black riding outfit, with a leather belt around his waist, and the lapel was embroidered with cloud patterns in silver thread, which shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
His narrow-shouldered clothes accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making him appear tall and straight.
Yan Jiarou couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. Seeing that he had ordered a Yulin Army soldier, she assumed he was about to set off for the mountains to compete with Prince Zhuosha and the others. She then buried herself in peeling grapes again, but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of silver light. She was slightly startled, and when she looked up, she saw Xiao Che standing in front of her with a smile on his lips. He asked out of the blue, "What do you want?"
She blinked, momentarily confused: "Wh...what?"
He leaned down slightly, looked at her for a moment, and said, "How about I catch you two little rabbits while I'm at it?"
He stroked his chin, his smile both unrestrained and wicked: "Hmm, let's catch two plump, white ones that look like you."
After saying that, he patted her head, turned around and walked back to the red-maned horse. He nimbly mounted the horse, took out a crossbow, pulled on the reins, and led a troop of Imperial Guards slowly into the forest.
Yan Jiarou stared blankly at his departing figure for a long time before she reacted. She grabbed something from the table and threw it in his direction: "You bastard, Xiao Wenqi, who are you calling fat!"
When I came to my senses, I realized I had thrown away almost all the grapes left, and I was filled with heartache and regret.
She took a deep breath and continued peeling the grapes. The grape skins were extremely difficult to peel, as they were thin, sticky, and very juicy. Often, her fingers would slip several times before she could peel a single grape, leaving her dripping with juice and looking quite disheveled. She had once asked Yingxue for help, but the little maid had been spoiled by her and was even worse off than her.
Just as she was struggling with how to continue peeling grapes, a very gentle voice suddenly came from the side, with a faint smile, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze: "I'll help you."
She turned her head and found that the Crown Prince had already sat down beside her at some point: "Let me help you peel it."
"Crown Prince..." Yan Jiarou felt a little embarrassed and stammered softly, "How could I dare to trouble you with such a matter..."
He was always exceptionally gentle with her: "It's alright, Father and the others have already gone back to their tents to rest. Now it's just the two of us, no one will see us."
"Besides, I'm going to marry you sooner or later. What's wrong with peeling a grape for the future crown princess?"
As he spoke, he picked up a grape and slowly began to peel it. The grape was difficult to peel, but he was very patient, peeling off the skin segment by segment. Finally, he brought it to her lips and gestured with his eyes for her to open her mouth.
Yan Jiarou obediently opened her mouth and took it in, chewing it slightly before smiling and saying, "So sweet."
The girl's face was already bright and beautiful. When she smiled, her dimples became even more charming. However, she was still young and had a childlike nature.
But there's nothing wrong with that; it just makes her look even more charming and adorable.
Sunlight shone on her face, giving her fair cheeks a soft glow. Even the finest hairs on her face were visible. She looked at him so passionately, as if he were the only one in her heart and eyes. When she smiled, he felt his heart melt.
Although Xiao Jue was the crown prince, Emperor Wei Yuan favored Xiao Che, and Empress Xiao Xian preferred her second son. Looking at the entire palace, only Yan Jiarou would look at him with such eyes, her heart and eyes filled with him.
Xiao Jue's eyes darkened slightly.
This is a ray of light that belongs only to him, and no one can take it away from him.
In her eyes, there can only ever be him.
Yan Jiarou was eating grapes when she noticed him staring at her with an ambiguous look. She looked back at him blankly, then smiled sweetly. The girl's skin was fair and pink, like an enticing peach on a summer branch, but her eyes were clear and innocent, completely unaware of Xiao Jue's growing possessiveness.
Xiao Jue's Adam's apple bobbed as he gently stroked the back of her head, his eyes brimming with tenderness: "When the time is right, will you marry me?"
When he said "the time is ripe," he meant that after he ascended the throne, his power would be sufficient to free him from the constraints of the aristocratic families, and he could then choose whomever he wanted to be his empress.
Emperor Yuan of Wei was indeed incredibly brave and powerful in his early years, conquering various separatist forces. However, now that he is in his twilight years, he has become obsessed with elixirs, and his health is deteriorating. He probably doesn't have many years left.
If nothing unexpected happens, he will soon be able to ascend the throne and fulfill his long-cherished wish. In his heart, Yan Jiarou and the throne are equally important.
Yan Jiarou was slightly taken aback, then smiled sweetly and leaned on his shoulder: "Of course, I decided to marry you eight years ago when you rescued me from the icy cold water. Over the years, my feelings for you have never changed."
A subtle, unusual glint flashed in Xiao Jue's eyes, but he simply said, "Let's not bring up the past anymore, okay?"
He gently pulled her body away, looked down at her tenderly, and jokingly asked, "Just because I wasn't the one who saved you back then, doesn't mean you no longer love me?"
"I..." Yan Jiarou frowned slightly, feeling guilty and at a loss, as if she had said something wrong: "Crown Prince... Jiarou didn't mean that..."
She looked at him intently and eagerly confessed her feelings: "I...I will only ever love you."
Really?
"Really! I swear! In this life, I will only love Crown Prince Brother, and I will never fall in love with anyone else. Otherwise, may I suffer many hardships and setbacks on my path of love!"
Hearing the satisfactory answer, Xiao Jue smiled slightly.
He patted her head: "Alright, I know what Jia Rou feels." He was always gentle and kind in front of her: "Sweetie, eat some grapes."
The grapes from the Western Regions had a unique sweetness. She had already eaten a plate of them, and now she had eaten most of the plate she had snatched from Xiao Che. Only then did she realize that an indescribable greasiness was rising from the bottom of her throat. She wanted to drink some tea to relieve the greasiness, but she lost her grip and spilled the tea, splashing it on her clothes and instantly wetting a large area of her chest.
Xiao Jue subconsciously reached out to wipe the water off her, but stopped abruptly when his gaze fell on her chest.
The large piece of thin gauze on her chest, soaked with water, became almost transparent, clinging tightly to her body and perfectly outlining the contours of her breasts, which were unexpectedly full and about to fall, trembling with her breath.
His throat tightened, and his eyes darkened.
His little Jiarou had grown up without him even realizing it.
Yes, judging by her age, she has now reached marriageable age.
The flower he had pampered since childhood is now in bud and ready to be picked, but unfortunately, the time is not yet ripe.
But it doesn't matter, he will definitely be the first and only one to break a branch.
He swallowed hard, then immediately turned and ordered his attendant to take his cloak and carefully fasten it for her, covering her exposed skin.
Yan Jiarou lowered her head and used a silk handkerchief to wipe away the water stains, but accidentally spilled all the tea that had accumulated on her chest onto her lower back. When she came to her senses, it had slowly soaked her entire waist. With her belt tied, it became even more wet and uncomfortable.
She had no choice but to loosen her belt, but fortunately, she was wearing Xiao Jue's cloak, so loosening the belt didn't cause any problems.
The two were busy dealing with the unexpected situation and did not notice the approaching sound of horses' hooves in the distance—Xiao Che and the others had returned.
It wasn't until a slender, fair hand with distinct knuckles lifted the plain white crescent-shaped sash placed on the table that the two of them simultaneously looked up.
But Xiao Che was toying with the plain white belt, his eyes filled with an unreadable meaning. He slightly curled his lips, a hint of coldness in his eyes, and asked, "Princess Qinghe and the Crown Prince, what are you doing in such disheveled state?"
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